Sec. 1252. Findings and sense of Congress
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Congress finds the following: General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, Commander of the United States European Command, testified before the House Armed Services Committee on March 27, 2017, that Today we face the most dynamic European security environment in history. and that Russia’s malign actions are supported by its diplomatic, information, economic, and military initiatives. . The Russian Federation has shifted to a military doctrine that envisions using nuclear weapons in an attempt to end a failing regional conventional conflict.
On June 25, 2015, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work and then-Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral James Winnefeld testified before the House Armed Services Committee that Russian military doctrine includes what some have called an . escalate to de-escalate strategy—a strategy that purportedly seeks to deescalate a conventional conflict through coercive threats, including limited nuclear use. We think that this label is dangerously misleading. Anyone who thinks they can control escalation through the use of nuclear weapons is literally playing with fire.
Escalation is escalation, and nuclear use would be the ultimate escalation. General Scaparrotti noted in his March 27, 2017, testimony before the House Armed Services Committee that Moscow’s provocative rhetoric and nuclear threats increase the likelihood of misunderstanding and miscalculation. . The Russian Federation continues to conduct ongoing influence campaigns aimed at undermining democracies around the world. According to an assessment by the intelligence community, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election , which included the use of the Russian military intelligence organization.
The intelligence community also assessed that Russia would apply lessons learned to future influence efforts worldwide, including against United States allies and their election systems. The Russian Federation continues its aggression on its periphery. In 2008, the Russian Federation fomented conflict in Georgia. Further, the Russian Federation is directing combined Russian-Separatist units in eastern Ukraine, actively inciting violence and prolonging the most significant conflict in Europe.
The investment of over $5 billion in the European Reassurance Initiative (ERI), now the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), has proven successful in significantly enhancing the ability of United States forces, NATO allies, and regional partners to deter Russian aggression. EDI has not only assured our European allies and partners but supported essential investments in NATO’s military capacity, interoperability, and agility. It is the sense of Congress that— the risks of miscalculation in a crisis are exacerbated by the Russian Federation’s shift to a military doctrine of escalate to de-escalate , lowering the threshold for Russian use of nuclear weapons and thereby increasing the risk of using nuclear weapons, potentially escalating in to a massive nuclear exchange; subversive and destabilizing activities by the Russian Federation targeting NATO allies and partners causes concern and should be condemned;
European Deterrence Initiative
(EDI)investments are long-term and, as such, Congress expects future budgets to reflect United States commitment by planning for funding in the base budget, and further EDI should build on United States presence by increasing the United States permanent force posture; and credible deterrence requires steadfast cooperation and joint action with NATO allies and partners and other United States allies and partners in Europe.